A study published in Animals suggests that Vetoquinol's Phovia fluorescent light energy (FLE) treatment significantly stimulates the wound healing process following mastectomies in dogs1.

Phovia is a two-part FLE system consisting of a chromophore gel that is applied to the affected skin and a blue light LED lamp.

When used together they produce light of varying wavelengths that penetrates the skin to different depths, which Vetoquinol says helps to control bacteria and reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin and stimulates regeneration in the epidermal and dermal layers.

The unit is portable, and applications take four minutes once a week.

After diagnosis and subsequent recommendation by a veterinary surgeon, any trained member of the clinical team can use Phovia.

For the study, which was led by Dr. Andrea Marchegiani, nine female dogs that had undergone unilateral or bilateral mastectomy for mammary neoplasia had half their wounds treated with FLE, whilst the other half served as the control and received no FLE.

To assess the potential benefits of FLE in reducing infection risk, swabs were taken for culture and sensitivity three, five and seven days after surgery.

The swabs from all FLE-managed wound portions showed no bacterial growth, in contrast to the control wounds, in which three dogs had positive culture results.

Andrea said: “For many reasons healing of surgical wounds can become challenging, especially after removal of mammary gland lumps.

"Veterinary clinicians have to face the three-fold challenge of meeting owner expectations of prompt and trouble-free wound healing, recognising those wounds in which healing may be prolonged or impaired and also following the principles of antibiotic stewardship.”

The study concluded that the research underscores the value of Phovia as a significant adjunct to conventional postoperative care in veterinary medicine, offering the dual benefits of reducing potential infection risks and lessening the home care burden for pet owners.

FLE’s application could potentially replace certain topical treatments and improve overall compliance by simplifying the administration of home therapies, thereby relieving pet owners of some responsibilities associated with postoperative care.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/8/1250 

Reference

  1. Marchegiani, A.; Troisi, A.; Bazzano, M.; Spaterna, A.; Fruganti, A. A Prospective, Blinded, Open-Label Clinical Trial to Assess the Ability of Fluorescent Light Energy to Enhance Wound Healing after Mastectomy in Female Dogs. Animals 2024, 14, 1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081250 

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.